About the Owner
Camp Owner
Matt "Coach" Barr
Camp Owner Matt Barr, pictured here with his wife Neove, has more than 19 years experience in the camp industry. He started as a
Camp Counselor in 1991, became a Camp Director in 1992, and soon after started a camp of his own in 1996. He's been the owner of his own camp for more than 15 years.Click here to see the complete Camps Canada timeline.
"I'm really lucky because I love what I do. Even after 15 years I can't wait to welcome a new group of kids to the camp every year."
I love camp. I love everything about it.
I love talking about it. I love training and working with young people and fostering their love of working with kids. I love playing games with kids and most importantly, I think, I love to see kids having a great time, smiling and laughing. What a great job I have!
About Matt Barr
Education
I was born and raised in Nepean and lived in the Trend Village, Arlington Woods area. I attended Sir Robert Borden High School until I finished grade 10 and then I moved with my family to Pembroke, Ontario where I completed high school at Fellowes.After graduation, I moved back to Ottawa to attend Carleton University. I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Sociology in 1989. Always an athlete and interested in sports and kids, I worked for years in the physical education field until I returned to school, attending the University of Ottawa in 1999 to complete my Bachelor of Education in the Primary/Junior division.
Extra Curricular Activities
When I'm not at camp or working on camp stuff, I like to play competitive sports.In the summer, I play lots of tennis at the March Tennis Club in Kanata. Although my real competitive days are behind me, I still enjoy going out, hitting the ball and getting a good workout. Neove and I play tennis occasionally but she doesn't play too much. She could be really good if she spent more time at it, but her real love is riding horses, which she does as her past-time. I also play the very occasional game of golf with my dad. I'm not very good at all, but it's time well spent.
In the winter, we hibernate, probably like the rest of you, due to the cold. We're not skiers and don't particularly like the cold, so we spend lots of time indoors. We try to take the dogs (weather permitting) for their daily run off leash when we can find a good place. To be honest, it's usually the highlight of our day and a great time for Neove and I to share stories about our day.
I also play squash in the winter at the Goodlife Club (Queensview location) and run a little on the treadmill, either at the club or at home in the basement. I have lots of good friends from squash and enjoy the competition of City League once a week, where we travel to other city clubs to take on their team. I've recently fallen in love with the doubles game as well. It's still competitive but more social and a great opportunity to meet up with like-minded friends.
Family
My parents Bert and Sheila are snowbirds (lucky ducks) and live six months of the year in Cobden, Ontario and the other six months in Wauchula, Florida. I have two younger siblings, Joanne (Dawson) and Peter Barr, who both live with their families in Pembroke, Ontario. Joanne and her husband Mike have three children, Amanda, Jacob and Zachary. Peter is recently married (2007) to Tricia (Robinson) and they are proud new parents of Lydia (2008).I am married (2003) to Neove (Zafiris). She is a veterinarian and after years of working in private practice, she now works for Health Canada. We live in Kanata with our three “furry” children, Indigo and Olive (the dogs) and Dax (the cat), all pictured below. Olive is the smaller of the two dogs, a border terrier, and Indigo is a Heinz 57 rescued from a shelter. Dax is obviously the smokey-grey colored cat.
Click here for "An Interview with Matt Barr".
Want to contact Matt, click here for his coordinates.